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Local knowledge settles dispute over garden wall

Local knowledge was brought to bear to settle a disagreement over a garden wall in Yardley Gobion this week.

Local knowledge was brought to bear to settle a disagreement over a garden wall in Yardley Gobion this week.

Recommended for refusal by South Northamptonshire Council (SNC) planning officers due to concerns raised by Northants County Council Highways Team, elected members approved the application during the SNC Planning Meeting on Thursday, 18 May 2017.

The retrospective planning application for the 1.8m high garden wall along Moorend Road replaces a 1m high wall constructed from similar materials that experts believe was once higher to encompass an orchard.

However, county Highways said they needed more evidence to prove that the wall would not affect visibility for drivers leaving the property.

SNC Planning officers had the authority to refuse planning permission, but as ward member for Yardley Gobion, SNC leader Cllr Ian McCord “called in” the application and asked for the final decision to be made by elected members.

Cllr Roger Clarke, SNC's portfolio holder for planning and environment said: “Much of the housing in Yardley Gobion was built before the motor car was a problem people had to worry about.

“Highways regulations require a certain range of visibility for the exits of driveways, but even if this wall was lower the neighbouring house would stop that range being achieved.

“The wall does not protrude further in to the road that it did before and after members of the planning committee visited the site they saw for themselves that Highways’ concerns were unfounded.

“I am pleased that a little local knowledge has enabled a reasonable improvement to this property to go ahead.”

Under Highways rules the exits of driveways must allow drivers to see 43m either side of the exit from 2m back from the edge of the road in a 30mph zone.

In some cases the range of visibility can be reduced if it can be demonstrated that vehicle speeds are lower. Highways officers objected to the wall on the basis that there was no speed survey or supporting information to justify a lower range of visibility.

SNC Planning officers had no objections over the look and scale of the wall and said that it is built in keeping with others in the village.

Comments

snc mafia

At 15:50 on 14th June 2017, snc mafia commented:

we wanted to build 2 houses next to a line of 8 council houses and even though the council had numbered the houses allowing for these two , they still refused it . yet people who lived here 50 yrs always say they WERE to be built ... its who,s face fits :(

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